


To Hereafter and Back

by LOTSlover



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Kissing, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8852623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: In the episode Hereafter, Wonder Woman doesn’t handle it well when Batman is hit by Toyman’s beam. Alt version of Hereafter. BMWW. One-shot. Angst & Fluff.





	

To Hereafter and Back

_**Metropolis; June 21st, 15:55 EST** _

The first thing Diana became acutely aware of was the fact that her head was pounding like a hammer on an anvil, her blood rushing in her ears. The next thing she recognized was her ribs screaming in protest as she struggled to move, consciousness desperately trying to push away the thick, black fog that enveloped her mind.

She drew a shuddering breath only to inhale more dust and debris, causing her to cough violently in an effort to clear her lungs. She slowly slid her hands along the jagged pieces of concrete that was her bed, bracing herself in an effort to lift herself up again. Shaking arms betrayed her, causing her to collapse back down with a groan.

She was vaguely aware of Bruce’s voice filled with worry calling her name somewhere in the distance, but it was nearly lost amongst the endless sounds of battle going on around her. She needed to get back into the fray to protect the people of Metropolis and help her teammates…to help her friends.

Diana forced her eyes open despite the pain in her head, her blurry vision slowly clearing as she attempted to draw a deep breath again, but her ribs protested with the movement. Ignoring the pain, she managed to push herself up, leaning on arms that finally held her up as she began to recover. She was more than determined to pay Kalibak in full, her warrior pride wounded by his assault.

“Diana,” Batman called her name, tight fear lacing his voice that had grown louder and closer.

She turned her head slightly, the feel of his gauntleted hand on her shoulder supplying her with the strength that Kalibak’s blow had temporarily robbed her of. His presence helped to focus her mind, providing an anchor for her to grasp hold of.

He had constantly done that for her, watching her back. She had come to rely on him more than she had fully realized, knowing that he would always be there for her when she needed him. She couldn’t begin to imagine him not in her life.

“Diana, are you all right?” he asked, his gauntleted hand coming to rest on her shoulder as he made a quick assessment of her injuries. Besides some cuts and scrapes, she appeared to be in one piece, at least on the outside. The possibilities of internal injuries remained a real concern.

“I will be…once I get my hands on Kalibak,” she angrily ground out as Batman reached for her arm to help her up.

“You took quite a hit, Princess,” he pointed out. “You need to sit this next round out.”

“Not by a long-shot,” she stubbornly countered as she brushed her raven hair back away from her face.

“I somehow knew that,” he responded with a frown as he tightened his grip on her upper arm to provide her support.

Just at that moment, Toyman pointed his deadly beam directly at her, the Amazon princess set dead in his sights. Batman’s breath caught in his throat as he looked up to see Toyman’s beam focused solely on Diana. Without another thought except for her, he immediately flew into action, stepping directly in front of her and taking the full brunt of the deadly ray with a grunt.

“Batman!” Diana screamed in utter shock as she stared in wide-eyed fear at the spot where her friend had just been standing not two seconds before. He’d disappeared without a trace, gone forever save for a scrap of material from his cape that slowly floated to the ground in front of her.

Before anyone could draw their next breath, Diana was streaking through the air like a heat-seeking missile, hands balled into furious fists. She reached the robot in the next heartbeat, tearing it apart with jaw clenched and teeth bared as if it had been made of tissue paper.

Tears leaked from her eyes and streamed down her face, blurring her vision and mingling with the rain that had begun to fall. Her soul cried out to end this maniac, to make him suffer for taking Bruce away from them…away from her. Her body trembled, not from cold or from the rain that assaulted her, but from the sheer anguish and rage that surged forth from the very depths of a broken heart that would never heal from the tragic loss.

“Stay back…it’s full of acid,” Toyman threatened her as he held up his gun, pointing it directly at her.

A swift flick of her hand knocked the toy gun from his hand a second before she had Toyman dangling from her fist clutching the front of his shirt. “Do I look like I’m playing games?” she bit out with a venomous tone, a deadly gleam in her tear-filled eyes.

“What are you going to do to me?” Toyman managed to ask as he stared at the enraged Amazon before him.

“I’m going to punch a hole in your head,” she stated, her voice laced with a bleak sense of anguish. 

Her right fist was cocked back as an endless stream of tears fell down her face as she glowered at him. Nothing was going to keep her from doing what needed to be done now, what she had to do for him. Just as she was about to unleash a tiny measure of her pain, a firm hand gripped her wrist. 

“We don’t do that to our enemy,” Flash evenly told her, tightening his hold on her wrist. He knew, though, that she could break free from his hold on her, but he prayed his words would cut through the thick blanket of grief that had engulfed her at that moment.

“Speak for yourself,” she ground out, her Amazonian upbringing screaming in her ears to extract revenge for the friend that she had just lost.

“I’m trying to speak for Batman,” Flash told her, his tone a little gentler.

Diana’s eyes momentarily fell closed as tears continued to spill down her cheeks, her breaking heart filling her throat. She knew that he was right. Bruce wouldn’t want her killing for him despite what her warrior heritage demanded, what she had been trained to do. It was for Bruce that she released her hold on Toyman, summarily dropping him to the ground as she turned her back on him.

She took a couple of steps before the anguish became too much to bear, her legs nearly buckling. The weight of the heartrending loss was threatening to crush her very spirit. He’d just been there with her a few moments ago, his hand on her arm and concern filling his voice and then…he was gone.

Her head dropped as tears dripped from her chin and jaw, her hand moving to grasp her other arm in a futile effort to hold herself together in that moment. She’d never known such overwhelming heartache until now, the loss of Batman not even coming close to comparing to the pain she felt with being banished from her own home. 

After being exiled, she had at least been able to take comfort in the fact that her mother and sisters were alive and well on Themyscira even if she could not be there with them. She had a prevailing hope that she could hold on to, one told that that she might someday be able to go home again. 

With Bruce gone, there was no hope…only unbearable heartache, a gaping hole inside of her that could never again be filled.

**_Watchtower; June 23rd, 20:23 EST_ **

Diana sat alone on her bed in the darkness of her quarters; the only light was that of the billions of stars outside her window. Her chin rested on top of her drawn up knees, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks as she stared at the piece of Bruce’s cape that she held in her hand. 

She gently ran her thumb back and forth across the black material as she stared at it, her mind filled with nothing but thoughts of him. He never should have tried to protect her like that, never should have thrown himself in the path of that deadly beam. With her meta strength and healing, she could have taken that hit far better than him. 

Why did he always have to put himself in harm’s way for her?

Memories flooded her mind starting with the first time she had laid eyes on him, her curiosity instantly piqued with the visage of the menacing hero dressed in black standing before her. She had been fascinated with him from the very beginning. 

Over time, her fascination and curiosity had grown into a deep admiration for the hero as well as the man that she had come to know. From there, a bond had developed between them, born out of respect as warriors and a mutual passion for justice no matter what it took. 

She had discovered a kindred spirit of sorts in the man who, by all appearances, seemed to be the direct opposite of her. While he worked in the despondent darkness of the shadows, she fought in the light, meeting evil head-on with fists cocked and ready. He was egotistical, arrogant and gruff, argumentative and infuriating as Tartarus. He drove her crazy, making her want to punch him through a wall at times. 

At the same time, he wasn’t intimidated by her or afraid to stand up to her despite her title as Princess of the Amazons. The fact that she was a meta didn’t even faze him. He didn’t fawn over her, but treated her as an equal. He always challenged and pushed her to learn all she could, sparring with her and teaching her to be an even better warrior.

Thoughts of their sparring session earlier this afternoon invaded in her mind, bringing a small smile to her lips despite her sorrow. They had ended their session in a draw…or at least she had thought. He had pulled an unexpected move on her that he’d never shown her before, flipping her over his shoulder. She’d found herself on her back, looking up into that damn smug face of his. She couldn’t decide whether to slap the smirk off his face or kiss him senseless.

The sparks that always seemed to ignite when they were around each other burst into flames in that moment as they had stared at one another. He had slowly begun to close the distance between them, taking her by surprise as he had leaned into her heaving chest. His lips hovered so tantalizingly close to hers, causing such a rush of excitement and desire to flood her system. She had found herself wanting what she had been taught to hate, desiring something that had been developing since they had first met.

The intimate moment had been interrupted by the sound of commlinks, alerting them to trouble in Metropolis. They had immediately responded to the distress call, neither of them realizing that he wouldn’t be returning to the Watchtower with her or home to Gotham.

Never again would she see him walking through the doors of the conference room in that dramatic, sweeping fashion of his that always commanded everyone’s attention. Never again would he come to visit her during her monitor duty or find her in the kitchen making another iced mocha. Never again would they argue about some trivial matter or flirt with each other.

Her heart felt as though it was breaking, icy fingers reaching into her chest and crushing what was left of it. She was so furious with Bruce for causing her to fall in love with him only to leave her like this, enraged that he had been taken from her before they’d even had a chance to explore what had been growing between them.

Rage mingled with her grief and coursed through her veins as a soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. “Diana?”

The gentle sound of Clark’s voice filtered through the door, filled with concern and his own sorrow. Each of her teammates had come to her door since returning to the Watchtower, Superman the last. They’d all been worried about her, knowing that she and Batman had grown closer over the last year and a half.

She had refused to see anyone, wanting nothing more to just be left alone. Clark, however, refused to leave this time when she didn’t answer him. “Diana, please talk to me. You haven’t left your quarters or eaten since we returned from Metropolis two days ago,” he said. “I know you’re hurting…we all are, but I need to know you’re okay.”

Diana refused to respond, her chest tight with the shifting emotions storming inside of her. She needed to get of here…needed to do something to ease the horrible ache in her chest. She needed to go to Gotham. She had to go to the Batcave…to be near him in the only way that she could now.

“Diana, I…I have to plan…Batman’s funeral,” he choked out, doing his best to hold back his tears. “I really need your help with this, Di. I can’t do this without you. I can’t lose you too…I won’t survive that.”

The idea of planning Bruce’s funeral caused a strangled sob to lodge in her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut against the well of more tears filling her throat. As much as her Amazonian upbringing wanted to honor him as a fellow warrior, her heart hurt too much to even think about him being gone forever.

Everything inside of her wanted to go to Themyscira, to break down the doors of Hades and bring Bruce back, but she knew it would be a futile mission. There was no body to return his soul to. He had vanished, gone without a trace.

After several minutes of silence, Diana decided it was time to make her escape. With the piece of his cape clutched tightly in her hand, she went to her door, opening it to find the hallway empty. She quickly made her way directly to the Javelin Bay with only one destination in mind, determination fueling her every step.

**_Wayne Manor; June 23rd, 22:40 EST_ **

Diana flew through the secret cave entrance, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her tears had finally ended a few hours ago, but the pain in her chest had only grown deeper. It felt as though someone had carved a gaping hole inside of her, one that no one could ever begin to fill.

The soft glow of light began to permeate the cave tunnel, steadily growing brighter until she finally reached the infamous Batcave. There was a sense of solemnity that filled the air, a thick tension and yet there was a sense of urgency that she hadn’t expected to find.

The Batmobile sat on its turntable, waiting for its owner, but one of the Batcycles was gone telling her someone was out on patrol. The mission to protect Gotham never ended, crime never stopping despite the fact the city’s sworn protector was gone.

Diana’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of someone sitting in the chair on the platform hunched over his computer. “Bruce?” she breathlessly murmured, tears instantly shining in her eyes.

She shot like an arrow towards the platform, landing none too discretely. Her heart sank like a rock as the chair swiveled to reveal Dick Grayson occupying the seat. He was in his Nightwing uniform, a hard expression gracing his face.

“Dick,” she whispered, steeling herself against the renewed wave of grief that threatened to crash over her. It was as if Bruce had just been taken away from her all over again.

“Wonder Woman,” Dick solemnly greeted her, not surprised by her appearance. He’d detected her presence the moment she had entered Gotham air space.

He had known that his surrogate father had grown close to the princess over the last year and a half; though Bruce was loathe to admit any such feelings. The only missions he ever talked about were the ones that involved her, Diana the only teammate he usually talked about if he ever discussed the League at all. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Bruce was falling hard for the Amazon.

“Please…call me Diana. I…I just had…to come here,” she managed to choke out, doing her best to retain the façade of the Amazon Warrior, but knew she was failing miserably. Dick didn’t appear to be doing much better at that moment.

“I’m glad you did,” he replied with a nod, neither of them closing the distance to console each other. It only made it that much more real. “I’ve been working on a way to find Bruce.”

“Find him?” she asked with a frown. “You don’t believe he’s gone?”

“No,” Dick adamantly stated with a shake of his head. “I’ve been studying that tachyon beam that Toyman hit Bruce with. I don’t think Bruce was vaporized. I believe he may have been transported.”

“Are you sure?” she questioned him, her heart surging with the possibility.

“No one can disappear without a trace,” Dick told her. “There has to be something left behind even if he was vaporized.”

Diana looked down at the scrap of cape still clutched in her hand. “This is all I found,” she softly said, reluctantly handing it over to him. It felt like she was giving up the only thing she had left of him, but knew that it just might help get him back.

Dick quickly took it from her, excited by the piece of evidence. “This will could definitely provide some clues as to what happened to him.”

“What can I do?” she asked, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for battle.

“Tell me every single thing you can about what led up to his disappearance and everything after,” Dick told her as he made his way back to the computer. “Don’t leave anything out.”

“Miss Diana, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

The somber yet polite voice of the British butler greeted her, creating a soothing blanket that she hadn’t realized she had needed so desperately. She turned to him, noticing how deeply all of this had affected him. The lines around his eyes and mouth seemed deeper, the weariness that weighed him down palpable.

“I’m so sorry, Alfred,” she replied, her bottom lip beginning to tremble despite her best efforts as she stared at him. Guilt for what had happened to Bruce threatened to choke her.

Alfred quickly drew her into a comforting embrace, holding her tightly. “None of this is your fault, Miss.”

She pressed her face into his shoulder in an attempt to stifle the sob rising in his throat. “He…he died protecting me,” she confessed, her words partially muffled by his suit jacket. “If I hadn’t been hurt…if I had been quicker…”

“Shush now, Miss Diana,” Alfred gently scolded her as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes brimming with tears and such heartache. “No matter the outcome, I know that Master Bruce would do it all over again without a second thought.”

“Besides, he’s not dead,” Dick snapped without looking back at them, anger lacing his voice. “He’s just…not here.”

Diana and Alfred shared a look, neither one of them willing to voice their fears or skepticism. “When did you last sleep or eat?” Alfred asked. “You look like you could use a hot meal and a full night’s rest.”

“Not since Bruce disappeared,” she sheepishly confessed, averting her eyes.

“Well, I’m afraid that you’re in very good company,” Alfred revealed, turning his gaze towards Dick.

“I heard that,” Dick stated. “I’ll sleep when Bruce is back.”

“The apple doesn’t seem to fall very far from the tree,” Diana noted with a faint smile.

“I’m afraid it does not,” Alfred agreed. “I’ll bring two plates down at once.”

“I don’t want to impose, Alfred,” Diana replied with a frown. “I just came because…I needed to be close to him.”

Alfred laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a sympathetic smile on his lips. “This is exactly where you need to be.”

Diana shook her head, her lips pursing. “I’m not so sure that Bruce would feel that way if he were here.”

“You would be surprised just how much Master Bruce would have wanted you here,” Alfred cryptically replied. “You will stay here for as long as you wish. I’ll prepare a room for you upstairs so you can get some sleep.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” she whispered, afraid to test her voice.

“No gratitude is necessary, Miss,” Alfred told her before taking his leave.

Diana turned her attention to Dick and his research, hoping to be useful in some way. “Where is Tim?” she asked, feeling absolutely useless at that moment.

“Tim and Barbara are out covering patrol right now,” he revealed, sitting back in his seat with a weary sigh as he rubbed his tired eyes.

“Do they need help?” she questioned him. “I’d be more than happy to join them. I know that Bruce wouldn’t approve of me patrolling as Wonder Woman, but I could wear a different uniform.”

“That would actually be great,” Dick admitted as he ran his fingers back through his long black hair. “Joker and Harley escaped from Arkham two days ago. Tim and Barbara have searching for them, but haven’t been able to find them yet. I’ve been trying to help when I can, but I have to find Bruce.”

“Point me to the uniforms and I’ll suit up,” she readily agreed, more than thrilled to have something to keep her mind off Bruce and yet knowing that she was helping him at the same time.

“Only once you’ve eaten and told me everything about what happened that day,” Dick reminded her, pulling a second chair next to him for her to sit on.

**_Gotham; June 26th, 23:56 EST_**

Diana tore through the night sky, responding to a call for backup by Robin and Batgirl. They had finally managed to track down Joker and Harley. Dressed in an older version of the Batman’s uniform in order to hide her identity, she had embraced the thrill of the hunt since coming to Gotham three days ago. 

While the hollow ache in her chest that had erupted the moment Bruce vanished hadn’t diminished in the least, being in Gotham and at Wayne Manor had helped her to reconcile her guilt over what had happened to Bruce. Unfortunately, her anger still remained searing hot, nearly consuming her whole. 

To say that she’d helped clean up Gotham in those short three days would have been an understatement. She, along with Robin and Batgirl, had managed to put several criminals behind bars, either in jail or in Arkham. Only a handful had ended up in Gotham General, but none of their injuries had been life-threatening. 

The cleanup had been so profound that many didn’t believe that Batman had truly died that day in Metropolis despite the memorial service that had taken place a couple of days prior. Most believed it was a mistake, the Dark Knight of Gotham still alive and well and terrorizing the criminal underworld like a wraith unleashed from the pits of hell. 

Diana had been more than happy with the misconceptions about his death, thrilled to be helping to carry on Bruce’s mission. At the same time, it did little to help alleviate the pain in her chest or how deeply she missed him. Nothing could come close to filling the lonely void that his absence had created. 

While she wanted to believe that he would be coming back, she was afraid to get her hopes up. Dick had been able to make some remarkable discoveries that had further confirmed his suspicions that Bruce wasn’t dead, merely transported to another time. However, it still did little to mend the heartache that refused to heal. 

Kal had eventually discovered where she had gone to, coming to the manor to talk her into coming back. The argument they’d had only confirmed to her that she was where she needed to be right now. He had tried to convince her to return to the Watchtower and the League, but had finally left her to do what she needed to do, telling her that he hoped she’d find the peace that she was looking for. 

She knew that she had hurt him by refusing to return with him, but she knew in her heart that she needed to do this for Bruce. 

Landing on the roof of the warehouse, Diana peered through a skylight to find a full-fledged fight taking place between Joker’s men, Robin, and Batgirl. She didn’t waste another moment, descending into the fight with a burning in her veins to make Joker and Harley pay for the trouble they’d caused since their escape. 

She quickly took out two of Joker’s men with teeth-rattling blows before turning and spotting the Joker attempting to sneak away. Batgirl was handily taking care of Harley while Robin handled the rest of Joker’s men, leaving Diana free to chase after the clown. 

She took off after him, a sneer on her lips as she chased him. It was for Bruce that she would stop him before he could cause anymore pain. She turned several corners before finding Joker standing alone in a dark hallway, the only light coming from the moonlight filtering through broken windows. 

His chilling laughter filled the air as they faced off against one another, both of them sizing each other up. “Well, well, well…what do we have here?” he uttered with a cackle. “You aren’t the Bat.” 

"No, I’m not,” Diana hissed with every ounce of hatred for this vile creature that she possessed. He had done nothing but cause Bruce and Gotham pain. For that alone he deserved to be gutted and left for dead. 

"So, are you the new Bat?” the Joker asked, wiping away a fake tear. “I’m going to miss Bats. He and I had a…special bond…one that can’t be broken even in death. He and me were meant to be. Hey, I made a rhyme!” 

"You’re going back to Arkham,” Diana spat out, not in the mood for idle chit-chat, especially about Bruce. 

Joker’s head fell back with a wicked, derisive laugh that sent an icy chill up her spine. “You are so cute!” he crowed. “I don’t know who you are, but you have definitely spent time with my Batty friend.” 

Diana took a threatening step closer, anxious to get her hands on him and get this over with. She hadn’t slept since Bruce vanished. She’d been working with Dick during the day and Tim and Barbara at night. She was eager to return to the manor to see if Dick had made any progress. 

“That’s far enough, sweetheart,” Joker warned her, holding up a gun. “I’m not afraid to use this, even on a woman. Why don’t you take off your mask and let us get to know one another?” 

"I know all I need to know about you.” 

Joker pouted with her response. “Oh, poo,” he whined. “You can’t believe everything they say about me. You should come here and try to get to know me yourself.” 

Diana knew that it was more than likely a trick, but exhaustion as well as her raw emotions were making it difficult to think logically about this. She just wanted it to end, wanted Bruce back. She closed the distance between them, coming to stand a few feet before him. 

"Now, that wasn’t so hard…was it?” he asked with an air of innocence. 

He pointed his lapel at her, hitting a secret button. Acid spewed from the fake flower, but she was quicker as she dodged the dangerous liquid. “Well, Miss Bat-wannabe,” Joker taunted her. “Not bad, but you’re not the real Bat. It’s impossible to fill his batty-boots. No one can ever replace my Bats. You see we’re like peanut butter and jelly…cheese and crackers…pizza and beer.” 

"He is nothing like you,” Diana seethed, her fists clenched at her sides. 

"Was, my dear… _was_ like me,” Joker reminded her. “Batsy-Watsy is gone.” 

"You talk too much,” she ground out with building anger the more he talked about Bruce. She wasn’t in the mood for these psychotic games. 

"Diarrhea of the mouth runs in my family,” Joker quipped, erupting in another bout of cackles with his joke. 

Frustrated and grief-stricken and exhausted, Diana grabbed the clown by the front of his jacket and lifted him off his feet. “I’m done talking to you.” 

Joker pointed his gun at her, but she swiftly knocked it out of his grasp with the back of her hand. “Wow!” Joker exclaimed. “What a temper! So tell me because I’m dying to know. What was it like when Bats went bye-bye? Did he scream in pain? Was there a pile of black bat dust left behind?” 

Diana sneered darkly as she turned and slammed him up against the nearest wall. “I’m not telling you anything.” 

"Oh, I see I’ve hit a nerve,” Joker taunted her. “Could it be you have a crush on the dead Bat? Well, that’s a shame now isn’t it? Batsy is dead and you’re trying to fill his boots. How touching!” 

Diana leaned in close, coming nose to nose with the lunatic clown. “You’re going back to Arkham where you belong.” 

"So tell me,” he continued with a grin. “Now, you’re sleeping all alone…no Bat to love you. Do you cry yourself to sleep at night…wishing your Batsy-Watsy was alive?” 

"Shut up,” she hissed, her hand moving to clutch his throat. 

"I have to admit that I’m very sad that I wasn’t the one who ended the Bat,” he confessed. “I always imagined some gag of mine taking him down, perhaps a dagger to the heart or an enormous bomb blowing him to little Bat-bits.” 

"I ought to just end you right here,” she spat out, pulling her fist back to deliver a deadly blow. 

“He’s not worth it,” a voice unexpectedly cut through her fury as a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. 

Her insides immediately clenched, her heart hammering wildly in her chest with the sound of the all too familiar baritone voice that she adored. She began to tremble, fearing that it was all just a dream sent by Morpheus to mock her. 

Joker cackled loudly, despite the death-grip Diana had on his throat. “Oh, this is delicious!” he cried. “The Bat lives!” 

"Don’t do it,” Batman told her, his voice firm with an undertone of understanding. 

Diana delivered a punishing right hook before releasing her hold on him, the Joker sliding to the ground unconscious. She slowly turned around, swallowing hard. She was so afraid it was nothing more than a painful illusion. 

Turning, she found herself looking into the cowled face of the Batman. She looked him over, noting the full beard that he was wearing. She reached out with trembling fingers to caress his bearded jaw, her breath catching in her throat. 

"Is it…is it really you?” she whispered. 

Batman leaned into her hand, his gaze drinking in the sight of her standing before him. “I’m really here, Princess,” he murmured. 

"How?” she choked out, tears leaking from her eyes and escaping from beneath her cowl. 

"It’s a long story, but I’m back,” he reassured her. “Nice costume by the way.” 

The corners of her lips quirked as the tears continued to slip down her face. Before she could respond, Batman had his arms wrapped around her, his lips crashing into hers in a heated kiss that quickly stole her breath as well as the ability to form coherent thoughts. 

She responded to his kiss, her tongue warring with his for control. He finally broke the kiss as the need for air became too overwhelming to ignore any longer. He cupped her cheek, using his lips to erase her tears. “Don’t cry, Princess,” he whispered against her jaw. 

"I…I thought I’d lost you forever,” she softly replied, her bottom lip trembling. 

"I never gave up fighting to come back you,” he confessed. “Being gone from you for so long made me realize just how much you mean to me. I love you, Diana.” 

"I love you too,” she professed. 

A smile lit his cowled face, his happiness so incongruent with the uniform he wore. “Let’s go home and I’ll tell you everything that happened.” 

"Home?” she questioned him. 

"Home,” he repeated, taking her hand in his as the sound of sirens filled the air. “I believe you’ve pretty much moved in there anyway. We’ll just need to move you to my room now.” 

Diana felt like her heart was on the verge of bursting as she followed him out of the warehouse. She could hardly believe that he was actually here. He was alive and he loved her. She had no idea where he had gone or where he had been, but she was more than thankful to her gods that he was finally back with her where he belonged. 

****

******THE END** ** **


End file.
